Ribbons
Lihulia's Legendary Explorer
(OOC: Please be aware as you read this post that this is a writing snippet from when Islands of Origin was first in the works - that is, early 2013. I did get some editing help from @CompuCat , but it still probably won't be up to snuff when compared with my more current work. That said, I hope that you enjoy the beginning of Islands of Origin!)
Littna the Aipom || Feulis-Dweller || Greenleaf Forest
Swinging from branch to branch had never felt so good. The sun shining down seemed to speckle the shadowed ground with tiny drops of light, and the very same sunlight perked me up, pushing me forward faster and faster. I couldn’t help but let a sly grin make its way onto my face. My plan this time was the best one yet.
The forest was just beginning to wake up. The trees seemed to be stretching out their branches to the sky, and the leaves were starting to rock gently in the crisp morning breeze, bobbing their sun-dappled heads up and down. The scenery around me, bursting with life and energy, urged me forward, and as the wind whistled quietly, it almost felt like it was calling my name.
That is, until I realized something really was calling my name.
“Hey! Boss! Hey! Down here!”
I stopped in mid-swing, just before I was about to reach the next branch. And that smile was off my face in two shakes of a Mareep’s tail. I looked to the ground to see who could possibly be interrupting me and frowned when I saw it was a familiar face.
“Benji...” I snarled. “What are you DOING down there?! You’re supposed to be getting into place!”
Standing on the ground, looking nervously up at me was a Linoone. His wide blue eyes were shining with curiosity, and he looked like he had about a million and a half questions ready to fly out of his mouth. I could see a hint of nervousness in his stance - the way his eyes kept darting from side to side didn’t exactly make him seem confident. “Well, uh,” he said, swallowing a big gulp of air before continuing. “I just wanted to ask about th’... you know...”
“The ceremony?” I replied, trying to conceal my anger. He should’ve been down at the ceremony grounds ages ago. I couldn’t get over how hard it was for this buffoon to follow orders. Is it really so difficult to just sit down and shut up?
“Yeah, yeah, that...” he laughed nervously and averted his eyes. I could tell that he didn’t want to face me head on. How cute. “I, well. I just wanted to ask a few questions, y’see...”
“Go ahead,” I spat, urging him to ask them all the more. These had better be worthwhile.
Benji was getting even more nervous now. The end of his tail was beginning to twitch, and his ears were doing the same. I swear I saw a few beads of sweat roll down his forehead. Gross. “Well, I was wonderin’. Isn’t this whole ceremony thing a little... rude?”
Rude? What could he possibly mean? I was beyond confused. Nothing about this was any ruder than what we’d done before. I raised an eyebrow incredulously, staring right at him. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“Isn’t it wrong to get into th’ others’ business?” Benji murmured, as if he was trying not to be heard. “I, I mean, the other stuff was jus’ for good fun, but this is a little different, don'tcha think?”
I was still having trouble hiding my confusion. He’d followed me so obediently in the past, so what was so different now? Oh well. I figured a little manipulation would keep him quiet.
I let out a short chuckle. “Ah, Benji, Benji, Benji... It’s not rude at all!”
And then I saw just what I’d been waiting for. He stopped twitching, stopped jittering, stopped quivering, then raised his eyebrows in confusion. That’s it. It’s all going well so far.
“All these ceremonies... who are they for, again?” I asked.
“Well, boss,” he said, still taken aback by what I said. “They’re for that Celebi guy, right?”
“Exactly!” I said, giving him a big smile. “But, tell me, Benji, is Celebi real?”
Benji had to think about his answer for a second. He bit his lip and stared at the ground, racking his brains for an answer. And then he nodded hesitantly. “Of course he’s real, boss!”
Of course he’d say that. How could I expect anything otherwise? I shook my head in denial, confounding him once again. “You may think so, Benji, but he’s not.”
“...What?” Benji asked. “But, then, why would they be celebratin’ him?”
“Do you think I know?” I said, snapping back to my usual self. “I don’t know! He’s not real, no one’s ever seen him, and the idea of him is just preposterous anyways! We’re gonna show those villagers the truth!”
He thought about it for a second, almost as if he was processing the thought at the speed of molasses, a breakneck pace by his standards. And suddenly, it hit him. He nodded, a wide smile on his face. “I get it!”
About time. “Alright, then, go where I told you. And make it snappy!”
“Okay!” he shouted, as he disappeared into the bushes.
...But then, he popped his head back in, just to say “Wow, you sure are a good guy, boss!”
I couldn’t help but show off my widest, proudest smile at his compliment. He sure knew what he was talking about. “I know,” I said, raising my head high. “And don’t you forget it.”
Without another word, I dashed right after him, leaping through the undergrowth.
10 Minutes Later || Greenleaf Falls
I looked out towards the crowd, adrenaline pumping through my veins. How could I not be excited? Everyone from the village was here, and the mob of Pokemon seemed to stretch on forever. Noises passed through the swarm, whether they were the chatter of excited Pokemon, or the roaring of the massive waterfall behind them. Something about all the noise, the energized atmosphere, just perked me up. I knew I was ready to show them my best. Just to be sure, I shot a glance across the clearing, focusing on a massive tree. In return, Benji poked his head out from behind the tree branch, flashing a wide smile, one that was almost too big for his face. He was ready, too. Good. He couldn’t screw this up. This was the perfect chance to get off of this hellhole of an island, and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste. As I saw a duo of figures push their way through the crowd, I scurried farther up the tree I’d been clinging to, almost as if on cue. I sat atop the highest branch, staring down at the scene, with my heart pounding so loudly I swore I could almost hear it. Though my hands were shaking with anticipation, I managed to hastily wrap a stray vine around my waist. I fastened my bag just a bit tighter, taking a few last looks to make sure my tools were resting safely inside. “It’s all set,” I muttered to no one in particular. “They’ll never know what hit ‘em.”
One of the figures managed to climb out of the mob, and as soon as he stood in front of the massive crowd, each and every Pokemon fell silent, as if they were almost afraid to speak in his presence. A few knelt down, or bowed their heads. But he just waved a clawed hand at them, as if to tell them the gesture was unnecessary. I couldn’t help but let out an annoyed sigh when the audience clapped and cheered at the sight of him climbing atop the stone slab that hung above them. If I was in their place, I wouldn’t show even a sliver of respect for that fool. Yes, Bullet, that smartass of a Sceptile, was practically having them all swooning at his feet. If only they’d realize he isn’t really all that great. He’s the definition of bossy, uptight, and overall, he just really needs to take a chill pill. I couldn’t see how everyone else can stand the guy, let alone worship him.
The next figure slowly lumbered behind, and he was sure taking his sweet time to climb to the top of the rock. When he finally did make it to the top, I soon saw that he looked the same as ever. His eyes were closed tight, he was hunched over quite a bit, and he had that same old stupid, carefree smile plastered to his face. I hadn’t even been here for that long, but even I could tell that Glenn the Venusaur wasn’t getting any younger. Even though everyone said he was the leader, I could never believe it. He never did anything except lying around and taking in the sunlight. And don’t give me that ‘he’s old’ excuse - I’d hardly ever seen him move his gigantic warty behind, and I was pretty sure that’s not a quality a leader wants to have.
As the two stood, taking in the hooting and hollering, Bullet cleared his throat to speak, rendering everyone silent but the rumbling waterfall.
“Thank you all for being here with us today,” he began, being sure to enunciate each word precisely. “Though we’ve had to endure hardship after hardship yet again, we have our dear Lord to thank for being gathered here today.”
His statement, as completely ungracious as it sounded, was met with another round of applause. He held up a hand to silence the crowd, before they got too out of hand.
“It is during these difficult times when it is most important to give thanks to our Lord, who has never failed to our deepest desires, to guide us through the darkest of times, and to bestow Their blessings upon us.”
Ugh. I swear, it was all making me feel sick. How could these villagers blindly follow such obvious lies? I rolled my eyes in annoyance as he brought his speech to a close.
“All I ask of you is to give your utmost appreciation to our Lord, as we have never failed to do for the centuries that They have blessed our soil.” He turned to Glenn. “Leader?”
Glenn smiled and stepped forward, sweeping a kindly gaze across the audience before nodding slowly. “You may begin.”
The crowd turned their heads to the sky, with a small group slowly beginning their prayer.
For the dear, sweet emperor who alone embraces time...
A few voices joined in, as their words grew steadily louder.
For the humble traveler who lives a thousand lives...
One by one, each bird Pokemon took to the sky, circling above, filling the air with their preachy, irritating song.
The pure-hearted being who lets us live out our days...
And finally, everyone was praying, speaking in unison as if they were all but a single being.
Who lets not a single moment escape their gaze.
They reached their arms up to the sky, as if they were calling out to the sun.
You have given us the power, to love and to dream...
And for you, the holy one, all we can say is-
THWACK!
Each and every Pokemon fell silent as the sound echoed through the clearing. The bird Pokemon ceased their melodic cries, the praying stopped just as quickly as it had started, and the eyes of the Pokemon sitting in front widened in shock.
And then it came again. THWACK! A massive tree branch slammed into the back of Bullet’s head, taking him completely by surprise. And when he stood back up, rubbing the back of his head, he was glaring intensely at the ground, his claws clenching into tight fists.
“Alright...” he said through gritted teeth, quivering with rage. “Whose fault is this...?”
It took all my willpower to not burst out laughing. Bullet, who had held himself in such high regard, was shaking with fury. Even though he was probably the downright stupidest Pokemon I’d ever met, having Benji around really did come in handy sometimes. He’d gotten everything just right - the timing, the angle of the branch, and, as I saw the bushes off to the side shake, I noted that he’d gotten down the getaway, too. Step 1 had gone completely as planned. But they hadn’t seen anything yet.
Bullet was growing angrier by the second. To no one in particular, he shouted the same question as before.
“Who did this?! Show yourself!”
Not a single Pokemon said a word. They were too busy shaking in their skins, startled by his sudden burst of rage. And yet, they all seemed to know who it was. They all had a single name pursed on their lips, and yet, they knew better than to say it. Bullet stomped one foot to the ground.
“Alright, I’ve had enough!” He was shouting at the top of his lungs, the sheer wrath in his voice ringing loud and clear. “Littna, where are you?!”
“I’m right HERE!”
I dove out of the cover of leaves, dipping down into the crowd and then whizzing right back into the open air. And believe me, everyone’s expressions were priceless. A few jaws were dropped, and a few exchanged confused glances, but everyone’s eyes were wide open in shock. The only one who wasn’t astonished was Bullet, who shot a glare at me. “Littna, you get down here this INSTANT!”
And immediately, my comeback was ready. “Now, now, Bullet,” I said, coating my voice in sugary-sweet sarcasm. “Do you really think I’m going to do that?”
Bullet muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. Probably some curse words that were too delicate for my sweet, precious ears. But then, he decided to strike. At a speed that shocked even me, he leapt towards me, ready to tear up the vine keeping me suspended above the ground.
...But, he was immediately given a faceful of sticky sap.
Okay, I’ll admit it. As he fell to the ground, face covered in the stuff, I couldn’t help but giggle a little. Fine, it was more than a little. First, it was a throaty snicker, then it became a hearty chuckle, and soon enough, I was laughing so loudly that my sides started to ache. Oh, how I crack myself up sometimes. But my moment of glory came to a complete stop when I felt a clawed hand grab me by the scruff of my neck.
I knew full well it was Bullet, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to get me this time, too. I thrashed around, hoping to wiggle myself free, but his iron grip only strengthened. Finally, I looked straight at him, and shouted, “Hey! Let me go!”
“Littna,” he whispered through gritted teeth. “We need to talk.” He spat out the last word, and it sent shivers up my spine. And as he dragged me away, I was powerless to resist.
Littna the Aipom || Feulis-Dweller || Greenleaf Forest
Swinging from branch to branch had never felt so good. The sun shining down seemed to speckle the shadowed ground with tiny drops of light, and the very same sunlight perked me up, pushing me forward faster and faster. I couldn’t help but let a sly grin make its way onto my face. My plan this time was the best one yet.
The forest was just beginning to wake up. The trees seemed to be stretching out their branches to the sky, and the leaves were starting to rock gently in the crisp morning breeze, bobbing their sun-dappled heads up and down. The scenery around me, bursting with life and energy, urged me forward, and as the wind whistled quietly, it almost felt like it was calling my name.
That is, until I realized something really was calling my name.
“Hey! Boss! Hey! Down here!”
I stopped in mid-swing, just before I was about to reach the next branch. And that smile was off my face in two shakes of a Mareep’s tail. I looked to the ground to see who could possibly be interrupting me and frowned when I saw it was a familiar face.
“Benji...” I snarled. “What are you DOING down there?! You’re supposed to be getting into place!”
Standing on the ground, looking nervously up at me was a Linoone. His wide blue eyes were shining with curiosity, and he looked like he had about a million and a half questions ready to fly out of his mouth. I could see a hint of nervousness in his stance - the way his eyes kept darting from side to side didn’t exactly make him seem confident. “Well, uh,” he said, swallowing a big gulp of air before continuing. “I just wanted to ask about th’... you know...”
“The ceremony?” I replied, trying to conceal my anger. He should’ve been down at the ceremony grounds ages ago. I couldn’t get over how hard it was for this buffoon to follow orders. Is it really so difficult to just sit down and shut up?
“Yeah, yeah, that...” he laughed nervously and averted his eyes. I could tell that he didn’t want to face me head on. How cute. “I, well. I just wanted to ask a few questions, y’see...”
“Go ahead,” I spat, urging him to ask them all the more. These had better be worthwhile.
Benji was getting even more nervous now. The end of his tail was beginning to twitch, and his ears were doing the same. I swear I saw a few beads of sweat roll down his forehead. Gross. “Well, I was wonderin’. Isn’t this whole ceremony thing a little... rude?”
Rude? What could he possibly mean? I was beyond confused. Nothing about this was any ruder than what we’d done before. I raised an eyebrow incredulously, staring right at him. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“Isn’t it wrong to get into th’ others’ business?” Benji murmured, as if he was trying not to be heard. “I, I mean, the other stuff was jus’ for good fun, but this is a little different, don'tcha think?”
I was still having trouble hiding my confusion. He’d followed me so obediently in the past, so what was so different now? Oh well. I figured a little manipulation would keep him quiet.
I let out a short chuckle. “Ah, Benji, Benji, Benji... It’s not rude at all!”
And then I saw just what I’d been waiting for. He stopped twitching, stopped jittering, stopped quivering, then raised his eyebrows in confusion. That’s it. It’s all going well so far.
“All these ceremonies... who are they for, again?” I asked.
“Well, boss,” he said, still taken aback by what I said. “They’re for that Celebi guy, right?”
“Exactly!” I said, giving him a big smile. “But, tell me, Benji, is Celebi real?”
Benji had to think about his answer for a second. He bit his lip and stared at the ground, racking his brains for an answer. And then he nodded hesitantly. “Of course he’s real, boss!”
Of course he’d say that. How could I expect anything otherwise? I shook my head in denial, confounding him once again. “You may think so, Benji, but he’s not.”
“...What?” Benji asked. “But, then, why would they be celebratin’ him?”
“Do you think I know?” I said, snapping back to my usual self. “I don’t know! He’s not real, no one’s ever seen him, and the idea of him is just preposterous anyways! We’re gonna show those villagers the truth!”
He thought about it for a second, almost as if he was processing the thought at the speed of molasses, a breakneck pace by his standards. And suddenly, it hit him. He nodded, a wide smile on his face. “I get it!”
About time. “Alright, then, go where I told you. And make it snappy!”
“Okay!” he shouted, as he disappeared into the bushes.
...But then, he popped his head back in, just to say “Wow, you sure are a good guy, boss!”
I couldn’t help but show off my widest, proudest smile at his compliment. He sure knew what he was talking about. “I know,” I said, raising my head high. “And don’t you forget it.”
Without another word, I dashed right after him, leaping through the undergrowth.
10 Minutes Later || Greenleaf Falls
I looked out towards the crowd, adrenaline pumping through my veins. How could I not be excited? Everyone from the village was here, and the mob of Pokemon seemed to stretch on forever. Noises passed through the swarm, whether they were the chatter of excited Pokemon, or the roaring of the massive waterfall behind them. Something about all the noise, the energized atmosphere, just perked me up. I knew I was ready to show them my best. Just to be sure, I shot a glance across the clearing, focusing on a massive tree. In return, Benji poked his head out from behind the tree branch, flashing a wide smile, one that was almost too big for his face. He was ready, too. Good. He couldn’t screw this up. This was the perfect chance to get off of this hellhole of an island, and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste. As I saw a duo of figures push their way through the crowd, I scurried farther up the tree I’d been clinging to, almost as if on cue. I sat atop the highest branch, staring down at the scene, with my heart pounding so loudly I swore I could almost hear it. Though my hands were shaking with anticipation, I managed to hastily wrap a stray vine around my waist. I fastened my bag just a bit tighter, taking a few last looks to make sure my tools were resting safely inside. “It’s all set,” I muttered to no one in particular. “They’ll never know what hit ‘em.”
One of the figures managed to climb out of the mob, and as soon as he stood in front of the massive crowd, each and every Pokemon fell silent, as if they were almost afraid to speak in his presence. A few knelt down, or bowed their heads. But he just waved a clawed hand at them, as if to tell them the gesture was unnecessary. I couldn’t help but let out an annoyed sigh when the audience clapped and cheered at the sight of him climbing atop the stone slab that hung above them. If I was in their place, I wouldn’t show even a sliver of respect for that fool. Yes, Bullet, that smartass of a Sceptile, was practically having them all swooning at his feet. If only they’d realize he isn’t really all that great. He’s the definition of bossy, uptight, and overall, he just really needs to take a chill pill. I couldn’t see how everyone else can stand the guy, let alone worship him.
The next figure slowly lumbered behind, and he was sure taking his sweet time to climb to the top of the rock. When he finally did make it to the top, I soon saw that he looked the same as ever. His eyes were closed tight, he was hunched over quite a bit, and he had that same old stupid, carefree smile plastered to his face. I hadn’t even been here for that long, but even I could tell that Glenn the Venusaur wasn’t getting any younger. Even though everyone said he was the leader, I could never believe it. He never did anything except lying around and taking in the sunlight. And don’t give me that ‘he’s old’ excuse - I’d hardly ever seen him move his gigantic warty behind, and I was pretty sure that’s not a quality a leader wants to have.
As the two stood, taking in the hooting and hollering, Bullet cleared his throat to speak, rendering everyone silent but the rumbling waterfall.
“Thank you all for being here with us today,” he began, being sure to enunciate each word precisely. “Though we’ve had to endure hardship after hardship yet again, we have our dear Lord to thank for being gathered here today.”
His statement, as completely ungracious as it sounded, was met with another round of applause. He held up a hand to silence the crowd, before they got too out of hand.
“It is during these difficult times when it is most important to give thanks to our Lord, who has never failed to our deepest desires, to guide us through the darkest of times, and to bestow Their blessings upon us.”
Ugh. I swear, it was all making me feel sick. How could these villagers blindly follow such obvious lies? I rolled my eyes in annoyance as he brought his speech to a close.
“All I ask of you is to give your utmost appreciation to our Lord, as we have never failed to do for the centuries that They have blessed our soil.” He turned to Glenn. “Leader?”
Glenn smiled and stepped forward, sweeping a kindly gaze across the audience before nodding slowly. “You may begin.”
The crowd turned their heads to the sky, with a small group slowly beginning their prayer.
For the dear, sweet emperor who alone embraces time...
A few voices joined in, as their words grew steadily louder.
For the humble traveler who lives a thousand lives...
One by one, each bird Pokemon took to the sky, circling above, filling the air with their preachy, irritating song.
The pure-hearted being who lets us live out our days...
And finally, everyone was praying, speaking in unison as if they were all but a single being.
Who lets not a single moment escape their gaze.
They reached their arms up to the sky, as if they were calling out to the sun.
You have given us the power, to love and to dream...
And for you, the holy one, all we can say is-
THWACK!
Each and every Pokemon fell silent as the sound echoed through the clearing. The bird Pokemon ceased their melodic cries, the praying stopped just as quickly as it had started, and the eyes of the Pokemon sitting in front widened in shock.
And then it came again. THWACK! A massive tree branch slammed into the back of Bullet’s head, taking him completely by surprise. And when he stood back up, rubbing the back of his head, he was glaring intensely at the ground, his claws clenching into tight fists.
“Alright...” he said through gritted teeth, quivering with rage. “Whose fault is this...?”
It took all my willpower to not burst out laughing. Bullet, who had held himself in such high regard, was shaking with fury. Even though he was probably the downright stupidest Pokemon I’d ever met, having Benji around really did come in handy sometimes. He’d gotten everything just right - the timing, the angle of the branch, and, as I saw the bushes off to the side shake, I noted that he’d gotten down the getaway, too. Step 1 had gone completely as planned. But they hadn’t seen anything yet.
Bullet was growing angrier by the second. To no one in particular, he shouted the same question as before.
“Who did this?! Show yourself!”
Not a single Pokemon said a word. They were too busy shaking in their skins, startled by his sudden burst of rage. And yet, they all seemed to know who it was. They all had a single name pursed on their lips, and yet, they knew better than to say it. Bullet stomped one foot to the ground.
“Alright, I’ve had enough!” He was shouting at the top of his lungs, the sheer wrath in his voice ringing loud and clear. “Littna, where are you?!”
“I’m right HERE!”
I dove out of the cover of leaves, dipping down into the crowd and then whizzing right back into the open air. And believe me, everyone’s expressions were priceless. A few jaws were dropped, and a few exchanged confused glances, but everyone’s eyes were wide open in shock. The only one who wasn’t astonished was Bullet, who shot a glare at me. “Littna, you get down here this INSTANT!”
And immediately, my comeback was ready. “Now, now, Bullet,” I said, coating my voice in sugary-sweet sarcasm. “Do you really think I’m going to do that?”
Bullet muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. Probably some curse words that were too delicate for my sweet, precious ears. But then, he decided to strike. At a speed that shocked even me, he leapt towards me, ready to tear up the vine keeping me suspended above the ground.
...But, he was immediately given a faceful of sticky sap.
Okay, I’ll admit it. As he fell to the ground, face covered in the stuff, I couldn’t help but giggle a little. Fine, it was more than a little. First, it was a throaty snicker, then it became a hearty chuckle, and soon enough, I was laughing so loudly that my sides started to ache. Oh, how I crack myself up sometimes. But my moment of glory came to a complete stop when I felt a clawed hand grab me by the scruff of my neck.
I knew full well it was Bullet, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to get me this time, too. I thrashed around, hoping to wiggle myself free, but his iron grip only strengthened. Finally, I looked straight at him, and shouted, “Hey! Let me go!”
“Littna,” he whispered through gritted teeth. “We need to talk.” He spat out the last word, and it sent shivers up my spine. And as he dragged me away, I was powerless to resist.
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